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The News Site of Boston College

The Heights

The News Site of Boston College

The Heights

(Connor O'Brien / Heights Editor)

Don’t Fear the Heat

Peter Coquillette April 2, 2025

For years, as Americans—and even as Boston College students—it has felt increasingly difficult to find something that unites us. But we often overlook a unifying cause foundational to the United States:...

(Will Martino / Heights Editor)

BC Barred Student Organization From Endorsing Presidential Candidate, Emails Show

Nikita Osadchiy March 30, 2025
The College Democrats of Boston College, a registered student organization on campus, was barred from publicly endorsing and phone banking for Kamala Harris by University administrators five days before the 2024 presidential election, according to emails obtained by The Heights. 
(Jashodhara Jindal / Heights Editor)

Free Speech Group Condemns BC’s Demonstration Policies, Calls for Reforms

Nikita Osadchiy March 11, 2025
In a letter to University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned Boston College’s demonstration policies for violating First Amendment principles, urging the University to eliminate its requirement that speeches and chants be pre-approved prior to demonstrations.
(Shane Shebest / Heights Staff)

BC Enforced Speech Restrictions and Thorough Approval Process for Pro-Palestinian Demonstration, Emails Show

Nikita Osadchiy February 21, 2025
Boston College administrators required organizers of a Feb. 13 pro-Palestinian demonstration to revise and remove portions of their speeches, disclose speakers’ identities, and refrain from using amplified sound and “public facing” advertising before granting approval to demonstrate on campus, according to email exchanges obtained by The Heights.
(Molly Bruns / Heights Staff)

BC Ranked No. 189 of 257 U.S. Higher-Education Institutions in Free Speech Rankings

Angelina Li September 15, 2024
Boston College placed 189th out of 257 colleges in the 2025 College Free Speech Rankings released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
(Vikrum Singh / Heights Archives)

BC Receives the Lowest Possible Rating for Free Speech Policies in New Report

Annika Engelbrecht February 11, 2024
Boston College earned the lowest possible rating for campus free speech policies in a new report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech and expression advocacy group.
BC’s Student Demonstration Policy Needs To Be Updated To Better Serve Student’s Free Speech Rights

BC’s Student Demonstration Policy Needs To Be Updated To Better Serve Student’s Free Speech Rights

The Heights Editorial Board February 26, 2023
Boston College needs to ease its policies and restrictions on student demonstration to better support its students’ free speech rights.
(Liz Schwab / Heights Editor)

Why You (Probably) Hate Vomiting Ducks

Benjamin Burke September 11, 2022
I found it a curious sign of our times that when I emailed the former president of the Boston College Republicans, a student group on campus, to invite an interview to speak on free speech and other issues, their president, Thomas Sarrouf, expressed hesitancy.  It was not an unexpected response. I suppose I may be the sort of person to whom they would be wary of speaking with.
Panelists Discuss Free Speech at BC at BCAAUP Event

Panelists Discuss Free Speech at BC at BCAAUP Event

Isabel Sullivan March 20, 2022
The BC chapter of the American Association of University Professors hosted a virtual forum, welcoming Melnick, Lindsey O'Rourke, Kent Greenfield, and Patricia Lowe to discuss academic freedom and campus speech on Tuesday evening.
Professor Melnick is Right, We Have a Free Speech Problem … So Now What?

Professor Melnick is Right, We Have a Free Speech Problem … So Now What?

Dennis J. Wieboldt III February 20, 2022

R. Shep Melnick—the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. professor of American politics—recently submitted an op-ed to The Heights titled “Our Free Speech Problem.” In his op-ed, Melnick observes the “disturbing”...

Our Free Speech Problem

Our Free Speech Problem

R. Shep Melnick January 27, 2022

As Olivia Strong reported in a Heights article last semester, Boston College fared extremely poorly in the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) ranking of free speech on campus—151th...

BC Ranked No. 151 of 159 U.S. Colleges for Free Speech

BC Ranked No. 151 of 159 U.S. Colleges for Free Speech

Olivia Strong October 31, 2021
In early October, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), in conjunction with College Pulse and RealClearEducation, released a report ranking the free speech climate at American colleges. Boston College, a university unaccustomed to finding itself at the bottom of rankings, was ranked 151 out of 154, with a total of 159 schools surveyed.
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